Wethersfield Moves Graduation Ceremonies To CCSU

March 17, 2014|By CHRISTOPHER HOFFMAN, Special to The Courant, The Hartford Courant

WETHERSFIELD — In a break with tradition, this year's Wethersfield High School graduation will be held at Central Connecticut State University instead of Cove Park.

The reason: Ongoing reconstruction of the high school leaves the school system without a rain site, Superintendent Michael Emmett said.

"I, as much as anybody, would love to have it at Wethersfield Cove," Emmett said, "but the stark reality is that I don't have a secondary venue."

The district traditionally holds commencement at Cove Park with the high school gymnasium as backup in case of inclement weather. But the gym will be closed in June as part of the high school's ongoing $83.7 million reconstruction, Emmett said.

The district looked at alternatives, including the Sport and Medical Sciences High School in Hartford, but they were impractical, Emmett said. The schools would not have time to move chairs and other equipment or conduct rehearsals, he said.

"It's a logistical issue," he said.

Holding the event on a Saturday morning would delay students from attending Project Safe Graduation, undermining the event, which gathers graduates for an all-night, non-alcoholic party, Emmett said.

Cost was also an issue. Renting a rain venue at CCSU would cost $4,000, money the schools would forfeit if graduation went ahead at the cove, Emmett said.

In addition, some locations were so small that students would receive just two tickets per family, he said. At Central, graduates will get five to seven tickets each, he said.

"It's not optimal," Emmett said. "It's not what we want. But we have to look at the reality."

This year's commencement is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, June 24, assuming no more snow days, Emmett said.

Emmett said that the gym should be available for next year's graduation.